Back number

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Back number on a handball player's jersey

A back number is placed on the jerseys of athletes in team sports . This makes it easier for referees and spectators to identify the individual athletes . In most sports, the size of the numbers is fixed. Depending on the type of sport, shirt numbers are assigned either for every game, every tournament or for an entire season.

In some sports the shirt numbers stood or stand for certain positions of the athletes within the team.

Fixed numbers on the back are common nowadays, especially for professional athletes in popular sports. In addition, the player's name is often printed above or below the shirt number on the shirt. Many players feel particularly comfortable with certain numbers out of superstition , or choose a number with personal reference.

The counterpart in many individual sports is the start number .

sports

American football

The shirt numbers usually have a fixed allocation to the positions, not least for orientation of the referees. Although this assignment is not compulsory according to the rules of the NCAA , it is strongly recommended that the numbers be assigned according to the scheme that is also common in the NFL . For the offensive line, however , the numbering with numbers between 50 and 79 is specified during normal moves, as they do not catch any balls and otherwise only touch the ball as a free ball (e.g. fumble ) or during passing moves before the throw Balls are not allowed to run forward. Usually the numbers are assigned according to the following scheme:

  • 1–9: Quarterbacks, kickers, punters
  • 10–19: Quarterbacks, kickers, punters, wide receivers and defensive backs
  • 20–39: running backs, defensive backs
  • 40–49: running backs, defensive backs, tight ends, linebackers (since 2015)
  • 50–59: Center and linebacker
  • 60–79: Defensive linemen, offense linemen (guards, tackles, center)
  • 80-89: Wide Receiver, Tight Ends
  • 90–99: Defensive Linemen (Defensive Ends, Defensive Tackles)

An exception in the NFL was the Oakland Raiders ' longtime center Jim Otto . He wore the number "00" ("aught-oh") for most of his career games, as well as wide receiver Ken Burrough of the Houston Oilers, who also wore the "00" during his NFL career in the 1970s.

basketball

In Europe, jersey numbers in basketball were for a long time limited to the numbers 4 to 15 so that the referees could easily show player numbers with a show of hands. (The hand signals for 1, 2 and 3 are used elsewhere.) Currently, the numbers 4–25, 30–35, 40–45 and 50–55 are common in the German basketball league , as these can be easily displayed by the referees .

In the American professional league NBA , players have always been able to select all single-digit and double-digit numbers including 0 and 00. Only combinations of the numbers 0 through 5 may be used in college basketball.

One of the most famous jersey numbers is number 23 which was popularized by Michael Jordan .

baseball

A first forerunner of the shirt number was in the USA in 1916 a number for the players of the baseball team of the Cleveland Indians , which was worn on the sleeve.

There is no assignment of playing position and shirt number, the numbers can be freely assigned within the clubs according to different criteria. In addition to the consecutive cardinal numbers from 1 to 99, there is the series 0–9 with a leading zero (00, 01, 02 etc.) and the single zero “0”. The official baseball rules stipulate in rule 1.11.a (1) that “the playing attire must have a different shirt number for each player, which must not be less than 15 cm” .

There is a special feature in the MLB : Jackie Robinson's shirt number 42 has been blocked throughout the league since 1997 - the fiftieth anniversary of the reintegration of the MLB by Robinson - and can no longer be assigned.

ice Hockey

In ice hockey , every player can choose any number between 1 and 99, which according to IIHF rules should be attached to the back (25–30 cm high) and sleeves (10 cm high). In addition, the number is often affixed to the front of the players' kits and socks. In addition, for international matches, the player's name must be placed in capital letters at a height of 10 cm above the number on the back. There is a special feature in the NHL : Wayne Gretzky's shirt number 99 is blocked throughout the league and is no longer awarded. In Germany, this applies across the league to the number 80 shirt of the late national goalkeeper Robert Müller . Within the club, further shirt numbers of the respective players are blocked.

Soccer

In football, according to some sources, shirt numbers were first used on August 25, 1928 in England in the games of Arsenal FC against Sheffield Wednesday and that of Chelsea FC against Swansea City . Other sources cite the 1933 English Cup final between Everton FC and Manchester City as the first football match with shirt numbers, with Everton players wearing the numbers 1 to 11 and the Manchester players wearing the numbers 12 to 22. Other sources postulate the use of shirt numbers in Australia as early as 1911, when the Sydney teams from Leichhardt and HMS Powerful wore shirt numbers for the first time, which was compulsory in all official competitions in the Australian state of New South Wales from 1912 .

From 1939 onwards, shirt numbers from 1 to 11 were provided for all teams for international games, with the numbers indicating the positions of the players in the tactical 2-3-5 system :

  • 1: goalkeeper
  • 2 and 3: defenders
  • 4 and 6: Outrunner (Provides the playmaker (No. 10) in a duel.)
  • 5: middle runner
  • 7: Right winger
  • 8: Half straight
  • 9: Center forward
  • 10: Half-left ( playmaker position )
  • 11: Left winger

Later, the shirt number was no longer tied to a position. For example, the Dutch (with the exception of number 14 for Johan Cruyff ) awarded at the 1974 World Cup in Germany and the Argentinians in 1974 (with the exception of numbers 1, 12 and 21 for goalkeepers) and 1978 and 1982 (with the exception of 10 for Diego Maradona ) the shirt numbers alphabetically. In 1986 the Argentines made exceptions for Daniel Passarella (No. 6), Diego Maradona (No. 10) and Jorge Valdano (No. 11). In 1990 there was still a mixture of alphabetical numbering and exceptions, it was not until 1994 that the Argentines also applied the usual system of numbering the regular workers.

In German football, shirt numbers were not introduced until the 1948/49 season . The 1. FC Nuremberg nevertheless initially decided not to back numbers and took them up to and including 1994/95 there were in the German clubs no set back numbers were so represented the seat numbers from 1 to 11 in the starting line-up on every match until 1951.. It was only a few years after the introduction of fixed shirt numbers that the clubs started to also print the names of the players on the shirts.

Even in modern football, some shirt numbers are often assigned with reference to certain positions. The shirt number 1 is usually given to a goalkeeper, in most cases the team's regular goalkeeper. A defensive midfielder is often referred to as a "six", but he rarely wears the number 6 on his back. The "10" is often given to a central attacking midfield player. The numbers “9” and “11” are still often given to strikers today.

The choice of shirt numbers is subject to certain restrictions. Internationally, only a maximum of two-digit numbers are allowed. FIFA made an exception for Andreas Herzog in his 100th international match, which he was allowed to play with the number 100 shirt. For international tournaments such as world championships or European championships , consecutive back numbers have been mandatory since 2008. The German Football League generally advises the clubs of the Bundesliga and the 2nd Bundesliga to number the shirt numbers continuously so that the highest shirt number is in relation to the actual size of the team. At the beginning of the 2011/12 Bundesliga season , the DFL introduced a ban on shirt numbers over 40. If a squad consists of more than forty players, they must be numbered consecutively. Players who already had a higher shirt number at their club before this season were not affected. With the shirt number "77", Andreas Görlitz wore the highest shirt number ever given in German professional football in the service of Karlsruher SC during the 2007/2008 season.

In football, the size and position of the shirt number is usually precisely regulated. For example, for the 2006 World Cup , FIFA decreed that the numbers had to be between 25 and 35 centimeters tall and had to be clearly differentiated from the color of the jersey. The participating associations had to send in sample jerseys for verification before the tournament. For international matches, shirt numbers have not only been worn on the back of the jersey for some years now, but also on the front of the trousers (for the first time in 1974 world championships) and then on the front of the shirts (in 1994 for the first time in the world championships). This should make the work of the referee team easier.

Handball

The players must have visible numbers at least 20 cm high on the back of the shirt and at least 10 cm high on the front of the shirt. These must be numbers from 1 to 99. Players who switch between field player and goalkeeper position must use the same number. The color of the numbers must clearly contrast with the color and design of the playing attire. The goalkeeper often has the number 1, 12 or 16, but these are not mandatory.

rugby

In rugby union , also known as rugby of fifteen , the shirt numbers are firmly tied to the positions of the players. The 15 players of each team are divided into eight forwards and seven backs. The forwards play in jerseys with the numbers 1 to 8, the backs with the numbers 9 to 15.

The numbers 1 through 3 constitute the crowd the first 4 to 5 the second and 6 to 8, the third row. Positions 9 to 10 are referred to as half-players, 11 to 14 as three-quarter rows and 15 as the goalkeeper.

A schematic drawing with all player positions can be found in the corresponding article .

Fistball

In fistball , the numbers on the back are limited to the numbers 1–20 at national and international level. Below the national leagues, higher numbers may also be worn. Blocking numbers is not common here. The German Fistball League has stipulated that in the national leagues, numbers must be worn on the front and back of the jersey and on the front of the pants.

volleyball

In volleyball, shirt numbers from 1 to 18 in international volleyball ( FIVB ) and from 1 to 99 in the national area ( DVV ) are permitted. The number should contrast with the color of the jersey. The numbers are often randomly distributed and are independent of performance, position or age, etc. The numbers must be at least 20 cm tall and 2 cm wide and always placed in the middle.

Protected back numbers

From North America comes the trend of no longer giving back numbers to popular athletes after they have retired ( retired numbers , blocked or protected back or jersey numbers). The first jersey number protected in professional sports was the "6" of Ace Bailey of the Toronto Maple Leafs . Protecting the number is usually combined with a solemn ceremony, during which the player's jersey is hung above the playing field or under the (ice hockey) hall ceiling.

The first protected shirt number in baseball was number 4 on the New York Yankees team on July 4, 1939, in memory of Lou Gehrig . A special case in the MLB is the number 42, which was worn by Jackie Robinson for the Brooklyn Dodgers . After his career, this number was not only protected by the Dodgers, but by the entire league, so that no MLB player is allowed to wear the 42 anymore. An exception were the players who wore the 42 at the time of the suspension, they were allowed to wear the shirt number until the end of their career. The number was protected as an honor that Robinson was the first African American to break the exclusion of African American players in the MLB in 1947, which had existed since 1880.

In addition to the number 42 in the MLB, there is another league-wide protected number in the North American sports leagues. This is the 99 that one of the world's best ice hockey players, Wayne Gretzky , wore. She was banned for the entire NHL after his career ended .

In Europe, too, there are more and more sports teams that have protected shirt numbers in the recent past. The first number blocked in the German ice hockey league was 80 of the German national goalkeeper Robert Müller , who died at the age of 28 .

Examples of protected shirt numbers in football

Examples of protected shirt numbers in handball

See also

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Curtis Crabtree: NFL passes "Brian Bosworth rule," linebackers can now wear jerseys numbered 40-49. NBC Sports, March 25, 2015, accessed August 29, 2016 .
  2. ↑ kicker of August 13, 2007, p. 15.
  3. ↑ Broder-Jürgen Trede: 75 years of jersey numbers - you should recognize them on their backs! In: one day . Spiegel Online , April 28, 2008, accessed April 29, 2008 .
  4. ↑ http://www.iffhs.de/?3e1d0874dd152977488c03fcf8021d
  5. ↑ DFL prohibits shirt numbers over 40. transfermarkt.de, June 30, 2011, accessed on December 21, 2012 .
  6. ↑ Kacar & Co. are allowed to keep the number. transfermarkt.de, July 2, 2011, accessed December 21, 2012 .
  7. ↑ Toronto Maple Leafs 2014-15 Media Guide. Toronto Maple Leafs Hockey Club, 2014, p. 228.
  8. ↑ http://www.bundesliga.de/de/liga/news/2010/stanislawski-verlaesst-st-pauli_0000180481.php
  9. ↑ Article on derstandard.at
  10. ↑ http://mobil.krone.at/phone/kmm__1/story_id__170569/sendung_id__113/story.phtml
  11. ↑ Normality at any price. In: sueddeutsche.de. December 13, 2010, accessed April 22, 2018 .
  12. ↑ Falko Blöding: Memory of the deceased Davide Astori: Fiorentina and Cagliari Calcio no longer assign shirt number 13. In: goal.com. March 6, 2018, accessed March 11, 2018 .